Verbena plant named &#39;duempflaneo&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Duempflaneo’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; and bright red purple-colored flowers with white-colored centers; flowers held above and beyond the foliar plane in mounded umbels.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEMPFLANEO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duempflaneo’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and early-flowering Verbena plants with numerous large and attractive flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2014 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number VV12-004517-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number VV12-003831-005, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duempflaneo’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duempflaneo’ as a new and distinct Verbena plant:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Bright red purple-colored flowers with white-colored centers;         flowers held above and beyond the foliar plane in mounded         umbels.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in plant habit as plants of the new Verbena are more compact than plants of the female parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Verbena are more freely branching than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in flower color as flowers of plants of the male parent selection are blue and white in color.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena X hybrida ‘Flagdena’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of ‘Flagdena’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more compact than plants of         ‘Flagdena’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘Flagdena’ differ in flower         color as flowers of plants of ‘Flagdena’ are red purple and         light pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duempflaneo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 22-cm containers during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Verbena production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time three weeks after planting and were ten weeks old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida ‘Duempflaneo’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number VV12-004517-001, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number VV12-003831-005, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate             temperature and age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit;             freely branching habit with about seven primary lateral             branches with secondary lateral branches potentially forming             at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch development;             dense and bushy plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 50 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 28 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.4 cm.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Color.—Close to 146C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 3 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Lobed.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, coarse.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137C; venation, close to 137C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 4.8 mm. Diameter: About 1.9 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             hemispherical terminal umbels; umbels dense and mounding;             numerous umbels per plant; flowers face upward or outwardly             depending on position in the umbel; freely flowering habit             with about 10 to 22 flowers per inflorescence and about 300             to 450 flowers developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             the spring through the fall in Germany; plants begin             flowering about eight weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one week on             the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.6 mm.             Shape: Oval to tubular. Color: Close to 77A.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Salverform, five-parted fused corolla.             Diameter: About 1.8 cm. Depth: About 2.2 cm. Throat             diameter: About 1.1 mm. Tube length: About 1.7 cm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.             Petal lobe length: About 9.8 mm. Petal lobe width: About             7.2 mm. Petal lobe shape: Obovate. Petal lobe apex:             Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal lobe,             when opening, upper surface: Close to 61B; towards the base,             close to NN155D. Petal lobe, when opening, lower surface:             Close to 72D; towards the base, close to NN155D. Petal lobe,             fully opened, upper surface: Close to 67A; towards the base,             close to NN155D; main color becoming closer to 83C with             development. Petal lobe, fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 63C; towards the base, close to NN155D. Throat: Close to             145C. Tube: Close to 145D.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five fused             sepals. Sepal length: About 1 cm. Sepal width: About 1 mm.             Sepal shape: Ligulate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin:             Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent,             coarse. Sepal color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A             and 145B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 143C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement:             About four per flower, adnate to corolla tube. Anther             length: About 0.7 mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther color:             Close to N144B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close             to 1B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length:             About 1.7 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted; fimbriate. Stigma             color: Close to 144B. Style length: About 1.7 cm. Style             color: Close to 144D. Ovary color: Close to 144B. Fruits and             seeds: Fruit and seed development has not been observed on             plants of the new Verbena. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Duempflaneo’ as illustrated and described. 